The Basswood Research survey of 500 likely Republican primary voters, conducted on March 19 and 20, shows the Texas senator leading Trump by 4.8 points, 36.2 to 31.4. Ohio Gov. John Kasich trails with 20.8. Cruz’s lead expands dramatically in a head-to-head contest with Trump. If Kasich were to drop out before the primary, 47.8 percent of respondents say they would back Cruz, compared to just 36.2 percent for Trump.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey released Monday also finds Americans questioning spending tax dollars on government aid provided to illegal immigrants. A huge 83 percent said that anybody should be required to prove that they are "legally allowed" to be in the country before receiving local, state or federal government services.

Washington, D.C. - Today’s data shows the candidates neck-and-neck, both on 45%. This is a two-point drop for Obama, and no change for Romney. We have also included data again today for candidate attributes, and the picture has changed since this past Saturday (10/6). For the last few weeks, Obama has dominated Romney on these characteristics; now, Romney leads not only on ‘A man of faith’ (29% Obama vs. 44% Romney) but also on ‘Can be effective in Washington (34% Obama vs. 38% Romney). In addition, the two candidates are currently within two points of each other on: Tough enough...

PPP's newest Wisconsin poll finds a big debate bump for Mitt Romney in the state. Two weeks ago he trailed Barack Obama by 7 points there, 52-45. Now he's pulled to within two points, with Obama's lead now just 49-47. There's not much doubt it was Romney's strong debate performance on Wednesday night that's given him this boost. Voters think he won the debate by a 61/25 margin, including a 60/19 margin with independents. 95% of Republicans think Romney won the debate, while only 50% of Democrats claim to think Obama was the winner. Romney's image has seen significant improvement...

45.5%. What happened? In terms of the numbers, Obama saw a decrease of 4.4% among “Verylikely Obama” voters, an increase of 1.2% among “Likely Obama” voters, and a 1.1% decreasein “Somewhat likely voters”. On the other side, Romney saw a 0.2% decline in “Very likelyRomney voters,” a 1.3% increase among “Somewhat likely Romney” voters and a 2.7% increaseamong “Likely Romney” voters. Overall, it looks as if the debate shifted voters more away fromthe “very likely” category towards center. Interestingly, the percentage of “Undecided” wentfrom 4.3% to 4.8%.

A new poll shows a slight change in the presidential race immediately following Wednesday night's debate in Denver, with a 4-point lead for President Obama the day before the debate becoming a 1-point deficit the day after his uninspiring peformance. On Tuesday, the Washington, D.C. -based Clarus Research Group surveyed 590 likely voters and found Obama leading Mitt Romney, 49 percent to 45 percent. On Thursday, Clarus found, in an identical number of interviews, that Romney had inched ahead by 1 point, 47 percent to 46 percent. Obama's support slipped by 3 points and Romney's ticked up by 2 points....

Rick Santorum holds a slight lead heading into the Michigan Republican presidential primary. Santorum leads with 36% and is followed by Mitt Romney with 35%, Ron Paul with 15%, and Newt Gingrich with 8%. Santorum has lost 2 percentage points since a similar survey conducted February 21-22, 2012, while Romney has gained 1 percentage point. Romney now leads Santorum 38% to 37% among self-identified Republicans, followed by Gingrich with 11% and Paul with 9%. Among self-identified independents and Democrats, Santorum leads with 34%, followed by Romney with 30%, Paul with 25%, and Gingrich with 3%. Santorum leads Romney 36% to...

Front-runners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are in a virtual tie with the former Massachusetts governor up by just two points as the Michigan Republican Primary race comes down to the wire. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters in Michigan, taken Sunday night, finds Romney will 38% support to Santorum’s 36%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remain far behind with 11% and 10% of the vote respectively. One percent (1%) likes another candidate in the race, and five percent (5%) remains undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

With a strong, successful push over the weekend to move conservatives, especially social conservatives, back to him, Rick Santorum has re-taken the lead in the latest Mitchell/Rosetta Stone Poll of Michigan conducted for MIRS (Michigan Information & Research Service) Sunday night. The two front runners are still in a statistical dead heat, although Romney (35%) has lost his lead to Rick Santorum (37%) while Newt Gingrich (9%) and Ron Paul (8%) are locked in a battle for third place. Eleven percent remains undecided.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich leads the pack in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of the Republican Primary race in his home state of Georgia. A new telephone survey of Likely Georgia Republican Primary Voters shows Gingrich with 33% support, followed by former Senator Rick Santorum at 28%. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney runs third with 20% of the vote, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul trails with nine percent (9%). Two percent (2%) like some other candidate in the race, and eight percent (8%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

From the Miami Herald, a little-known detail about Sen. Marco Rubio's personal story: When Marco was 8 years old and living in Las Vegas, the Rubio family attended a Mormon church for a few years. It's a tidbit just released by the publisher of his memoirs. It's also a piece of the history of Rubio, a rising party star and one of the best-known Hispanic officials in the GOP, that comes as a surprise. UPDATE: The incomparable Molly Ball points out via Twitter, "Rubio's cousin Mo Denis is Mormon D state sen. in NV." Rubio is a practicing Catholic. His...

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum holds a two-to-one lead over his closest GOP rival in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of Oklahoma’s Republican primary race. The latest statewide survey of Likely GOP Primary voters shows Santorum with 43% of the vote followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 22% and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at 18%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul draws seven percent (7%) support. Just two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate in the race, while seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum has surged to the front among Oklahoma’s Republican voters, according to a SoonerPoll.com survey released Sunday. Santorum was the first choice of 39 percent of the 278 likely voters who said they planned to participate in the March 6 state GOP primary. Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, first in a survey conducted last fall, dropped to third, behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who remained second. Romney, generally considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, was at 23 percent, followed by Gingrich at 18. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was at...

Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has a commanding lead among Republican presidential candidates in Texas, according to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Santorum would get the votes of 45 percent of the respondents if the election were held today, according to the survey. The other three candidates in the GOP race — former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas — are clustered well behind. Gingrich got 18 percent, Romney received 16 percent and Paul garnered 14 percent.

Rick Santorum continues to lead the Michigan Republican presidential primary. Santorum leads with 37% and is followed by Mitt Romney with 32%, Ron Paul with 15%, and Newt Gingrich with 10%. Santorum has gained 4 percentage points since a similar survey conducted February 11-12, 2012, Romney has gained 5 percentage points, and Gingrich has lost 11 percentage points since the last survey. Santorum and Romney are tied with 35% each among self-identified Republicans, followed by Paul with 15% and Gingrich with 13%. Among self-identified independents and Democrats, Santorum leads with 40%, followed by Romney with 27%, Paul with 15%, and...

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum continues to ride his polling momentum into Ohio where he leads Mitt Romney by nearly two-to-one in the first Rasmussen Reports survey of Republicans in the state. The new statewide telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary voters shows Santorum picking up 42% of the vote to Romney’s 24%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich draws 13% support, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul picks up 10%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and eight percent (8%) are undecided.

Follow the bouncing ball. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum has now bounced to a 12-point lead over Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Republican Primary Voters finds Santorum with 39% support to the former Massachusetts governor’s 27%. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich follows from a distance with 15% of the vote, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul runs last with 10%. Three percent (3%) like some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) Just over a week...